Speakers

The Wednesday Noon meeting features a speaker, special presentation or event. The Evening Group meets at alternative times with changing meeting formats. The Rotary Club of Fort Collins strives to have the best speakers ranging from community leaders in politics, business, government, education to community service. We cover a diverse range of topics, both highly educational and highly entertaining. We use the RITE formula while selecting speakers. (Relevant, Informative, Timely, and Entertaining) Here are a few of our past programs to give you an idea of the exciting range of presentations.

Our speakers this Wednesday, May 29th, will be Steve and Janey Kramer, introduced by Lee Jeffrey. The Kramers will share their inspiring and seemingly miraculous journey that allowed Steve to be here with us today; seeking to become the pickle ball champion of Northern Colorado. This, after one of the greatest threats to one’s life that a person can get. For Steve, life was great until February 2014 when he began to feel terrible. He was diagnosed with a primary liver cancer that is very aggressive and also very uncommon in the USA. At one point in 2014 he was told he had only months to live.

Steve credits his almost unprecedented recovery in large part to a very persistent wife. And a trip to Mongolia. Tune in for more.

Steve grew up in Nebraska and is a graduate of University of Nebraska School of Dentistry. He and his wife Janey came to Fort Collins in 1976 where he had a very successful career in Family and Cosmetic Dentistry for over 38 years. They have three sons: one of whom is a dentist and the other two married dentists who now practice together as Dental Center of the Rockies.

Steve was a member of Foothills Rotary Club and for many years served as the Fine Master who raised money by employing his great sense of humor. He is also known as a talented sculptor and photographer. No photo is available.

On May 15, RCFC member Bill West moderated a discussion by the Larimer County Commissioners (John Kefalas, Tom Donnelly, and Steve Johnson) on a number of county government issues.

What is the level of civility in county government?

Kefalas: He gets great support in his learning curve as the newest member of the Commission.

Donnelly: There is no aisle to cross; they work together to decide on pragmatic choices.

Johnson: The members don’t have to agree but do respect the diversity & differences of opinion. Always do what is right.

How are those attitudes filtering down to the departments in county government?

Johnson: The current strategic plan emphasizes collaboration between departments as well as collaboration with the community.

Donnelly: They are also emphasizing collaboration between counties in both government and work force. This recognizes that 50% of Fort Collins workers and 75% of Loveland workers leave town to work every day.

What about the recently released property valuations and the computer program used?

Donnelly: The commissioners hire the department heads and give them budgets, from which the heads do their business. Valuation is different from tax assessed. Various tax credits so may provide some relief for those with increased valuations.

Johnson: The county must have valuations for some 150,000 properties plus equipment; valuations must rely on computer programs that follow State guidelines. Of taxes collected, 75% goes elsewhere (e.g., the State); county wide, there has been a 17% rise in valuations; revenue is up 12.8% (approximately 6% per year).

Kefalas: There have been some 5500 protests to date and there is still time to lodge a protest. For many seniors (55+), there is the possibility of a senior discount. Although valuations may be up, the actual mil levy applied will be adjusted in November to provide the income needed.

What is the status of the Thornton pipeline issue?

Kefalas: The issue is in litigation so comments must be limited.

Johnson: Courts have historically shown deference to local governments.

Donnelly: The county actively participates in a number of regional bodies.

Kefalas: There is a current effort to update the master plan for watershed and natural resources and comments may be submitted to the end of May.

What is happening with the money recently approved for a Mental Health Facility?

Johnson: The $16 – 17 million per year will mostly be used initially to build a debt-free facility between Fort Collins and Loveland to be run by a provider (with a diverse advising group) who is expected to participate in the design. Initially, some $1 million will be used to address suicide prevention ($400K), substance abuse ($400K), public education ($100K), and small grants ($100K).

Last week, Roy Otto, Greeley City Manager and Water Board Member spoke to FCRC about Northern Colorado Water Issues. He reminded us how frequently we interact with water, noting that water is NOCO’s most important resource and something we must keep in our region; but also learn to manage collaboratively.

Historically, we had water wars (eg, Ft Collins vs Greeley) which led to our current water law. The future of water in our region demands collaboration instead. Current management involves multiple players not always working together-multiple municipal providers, agriculture ditch companies, conservation districts, multiple Poudre River diversions and multiple planned reservoirs( currently in the permitting phase). Thus far, management and administration of all these players has been like “herding cats”

The mandate for future success is collaboration instead of the “mine, mine” mindset, (competition) and water wars. The “buy and dry” approach is not acceptable because it removes this essential resource (water) for all time. An example of past cooperation is the Colorado-Big Thompson Project but the western slope is not likely to share more of it’s water with the fast growing Front Range.

Future pathways to collaboration may (must?) involve shared infrastructure, common legislative and advocacy efforts, education of civilians, regional planning (and authority) as well as good partnerships with Agriculture providing alternatives to “buy and dry”.

Last week, FCRC member Warren Wilson presented his talk entitled “Changes in Golf Rules”. Warren has extensive credentials as a golf administrator detailed in the online Rotogear preview for this week’s talk. This is his second career; the first was as an infantry officer in the US Army.

Warren started with the history of golf going back to 1457 when it was first mentioned as being banned. Although the ban was lifted in 1502, the church still objected to golf, especially when played on Sunday. The origin of the word 'golf' dates back to an old Dutch word meaning “club”, and, as commonly mentioned, has nothing to do with a male-only sport (Gentlemen Only Ladies Forbidden).

St. Andrews was the first course to have 18 holes (1764) and the first rules were written in Edinburgh in 1745. Some of the old rules were highlighted in Warren’s talk and their relationship to today’s rules and penalties noted. The USGA and the Royal and Ancient Golf Course rules were combined in May 1951 to be applied worldwide by the Joint Rules Commission. Rules apply the same to all levels of players-Pros and amateurs.

Warren showed us the book-Rules of Golf. The 44 “original” rules were decreased to 24 in 2019. One of the “take home” messages was that golf is a unique game/sport. Much less is “fixed” in golf compared to other sports-eg, the number of players can vary widely, the course or field is always variable and, critters, competitors and spectators are constant variables.

The cardinal rule of golf is ”Play the ball as it lies, play the course as you find it, and if you cannot do either, do what is fair” (sort of like life).

As expected from Warren, the talk was entertaining and informative - yet another example of our talent pool at FCRC.

Last week George Theodore, RCFC member and retired electrical engineer, shared photos and tips from his second career, photography. A handout on travel photography was available to all present.

He shared his inspiration and history as a photographer. In high school he was initially taught the magic of light and shadow as seen in paintings which he learned to reproduce in photographs. George showed a list of his mentors for this second career.

He shared numerous wonderful personal photos-illustrating the use of light and shadow in landscapes as well as snapshots from travel vacations. His sunrise and sunset photos use light and dark to great advantage. His various examples focused on cloud formations were stunning. The use of straight and curved lines for focus and direction was interesting. A number of examples of wildlife shots were shared (especially captivating were the juveniles).

Good photography requires focus on color, light, texture, perspective and people (and less on expensive equipment).

The photos were gorgeous and the talk entertaining. Another example of the amazing talent we have in our club.

John Roberts (RCFC member and past president, 2005 – 06) regaled us with highlights of his trip (with his friend Kathleen) around the world from December, 2017, through May, 2018. His cruise on the maiden voyage of a new Viking Cruise Line ship started in Miami, FL, and, going the opposite direction from Phileas Fogg, ended in London, England. The ship had some 930 passengers and some 437 staff, so it was by no means a huge cruise liner. During a voyage of 34,715 miles, they experienced only one day of rain, but did experience 50-foot waves south of Australia.

He started his presentation by outlining the itinerary. Countries/ports visited, in order, included Cuba, Jamaica (Bob Marley was proud), Panama (and the Panama Canal), Costa Rica, Mexico, Los Angeles (the local Target store loved it), Tahiti, Samoa, Tonga, Fiji, New Zealand, the east coast of Australia, Indonesia, the Philippines, China (Shanghai), Vietnam, Thailand, Cambodia, Singapore, Kuala Lumpur, India, Oman, the Red Sea (both the Bab al-Mandeb Straight and the Suez Canal), Jordan, Egypt, Italy, Algeria, Spain, Portugal, and London. This was followed by a slide show with some 100 slides, presented in order of visitation, showing high points of the trip.

Finally, John summarized his impressions from the trip. In spite of the huge diversity of languages, English is the most common language. Of the religions of the various cultures, it seems that Christianity is losing ground (many churches in Europe are now museums) whereas Islam, Buddhism, and Hinduism are growing. Globalization is seen mostly as a benefit, with all ships going up on a rising tide. The influence of China is extensive and growing, on the one hand building infrastructure but on the other hand increasingly developing surveillance of the Big Brother type. China may be over-built, but loans are available, there are hundreds of 130 story buildings, and bullet trains cross the country. The current Chinese building spree follows a long history of mega-projects, including the Great Wall, the Yangtze to Yellow River Canal, and the recently completed Three Gorges Dam with its huge electrical generation capacity. This compares with an erosion in respect for the U.S., arising at least in part from actions of our own government, our internal polarization, and our gun culture. There is a widespread loss of trust in the U.S.

On the light side (or, at least, the ironic side), John pointed out that there were a number of people on this round-the-world cruise who were serious members of the Flat Earth Society.

On February 27th, Dr. Kurt Fausch, Professor Emeritus in the Department of Fish, Wildlife, and Conservation Biology at CSU told of his 35-year journey as a teacher and fisheries ecologist. He stressed the importance of the length of rivers without barriers to their natural inhabitants. He talked about his studies of rivers including the Poudre and other rivers on the High Plains, and in Oregon and Japan. He noted the importance of rivers to people. “We need water to drink, support fish and grow food.” He pointed out that the sound of flowing water is healing and gives us peace. He ended with “We need their sounds and their views, and their sound advice. And, in the end I believe we will need to understand how and why we love rivers if we hope to conserve them.”

Kurt has recently published a prize-winning book “For the Love of Rivers: A Scientist’s Journey.” Watch the two-minute book trailer video, and learn more about the book at: www.fortheloveofrivers.org

April 3, speaker was Dr Bryan Willson, Professor, Presidential Chair in Energy Innovation and Director of the CSU Energy Institute ( for a full list of his extensive credentials see the Rotogear published last week).

CSU's Energy Institutes’ mission is to “use science to find solutions and apply them to scale”. At least 30 faculty members contribute. Recognition of the Energy Institute contributed to Fort Collins selection by the Smithsonian as one of six places of innovation (clean energy) in the US. Dr Wilson discussed a number of potential definitions of innovation but believes that bringing people together to collaborate is the best way to define innovation. Colorado is unique in the collaboration of it’s best universities with one another and the private sector. This was on display at a recent symposium on energy held in Denver.

The acquisition of the old downtown power plant by CSU was the first step in establishing a footprint for the institute which has subsequently been expanded to integrate most of the colleges at CSU in energy research and application.

Specific areas of research and application were listed, including development of the natural gas engine. Access to simple low pollution energy has been a focus provided to the developing world. For example, low emission, 2 stroke engines have been developed and made available; cheap and energy efficient non polluting cook stoves have been distributed; microgrids, especially for African communities are being established ; safe methane extraction and use is being addressed and finally, energy ventures are being set up in and for the developing world.

All these contributions for better life and health far beyond our local community are reasons to be proud of our university and city.

Last week FCRC member, James Cooper, PhD shared his 9 year experience at King Fahd University (1998-2007). King Fahd University was started in the 1960’s originally closely associated with Aramco (KFU of Petroleum and Minerals). It is now a public university administered under the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia.

In some ways it looks like any university in the US (see web site) but it also differs in many ways. Student body is male only. The acceptance rate is 2% making it the most selective and best university in the Middle East. The curriculum is limited to engineering, science and business. Notably absent are the many liberal art majors expected at most US schools. Most instruction is in English.

Students could be considered more like employees than customers. They are paid, housed and their attendance and performance closely watched. The first year is often a year of orientation with requirements to fulfill in English and math. Nonetheless, for most students English is a second language making communication with a professor from the US potentially challenging.

Finally, Jim shared some personal reminiscences. Exposure to the general culture was limited and consisted primarily of shopping and dining out. Entertainment was hard to find. (Soccer was popular but limited to males only). Alcohol was prohibited but access to alcohol and entertainment was possible in private settings. The last shared memory was Jim’s learning of the 9/11 disaster the night before his morning class and his need to process this in Saudi Arabia.

Calling himself "her old friend," Rotarian Dave Stewart introduced Meg Collins, now Vice-President of Public Affairs for Good Chemistry and former president or chair of numerous statewide associations. Meg began her talk on the effects and nature of Colorado's legalization of marijuana by noting that today's date, 4/20, was also the traditional code-word for the smoking of cannabis. Citing her position as head of the Cannabis Business Alliance, she stated that we have moved from the past to the present and praised Colorado for doing a wonderful job since 2013, especially in creating a 25 percent tax on recreational marijuana.

Will the Rockies win it all? Which team will first establish Spring Training in Cuba? Will anyone still take President Bill’s (free) season tickets by September? Inquiring minds want to know! This Wednesday, April 22, Tracy “ Write ‘em Cowboy” Ringolsby, veteran of 39 major leagues seasons will tell all, and do a few prognostications. Our second favorite Cowboy – Warren Wilson, will do the introductions.

Tracy Ringolsby has been a professional journalist for 47 years; focused on baseball for the past 39 years. He’s just back from 5 weeks of spring training, soaking up sun, and preparing for the MLB Season. Tracy last spoke at RCFC in spring 2010, and whether you are a Rockies fan or not, he is always well informed and entertaining...

Bad news, Boomers – we’re no longer #1. According to a Pew Research Center Study released last December, the “Millennial” Generation will outsize “Boomers” as the largest living generation during 2015. But the good news is, we can still learn how to connect with the generation born between 1980 and 2000, and our speaker this week, Alex Oesterle will help understand how. Alex will be introduced by Programs Co-Chair Ralph Smith...

Located on the edge of “The Great American Desert”, careful water management is a challenge to Fort Collins’ growth, and climate change is expected to bring longer droughts, increased wildfire risk, and diminished water supplies. In our continuing series on water, Wednesday, February 11, Dave Stewart will introduce Dr. Tzahi Cath, Assistant Professor of Civil Engineering at the Colorado School of Mines, to discuss the research being done by ReNUWIt, a research collaboration with a goal to change the way we manage urban water...

Philip Murphy, Governor of Rotary District 5440, will speak Wednesday, November 19th at the regular meeting of the Rotary Club of Fort Collins at noon at the Midtown Arts Center, 3750 S. Mason St, Fort Collins. The international Rotary theme for the year is “Light Up Rotary.” His district includes 54 Rotary clubs in Wyoming, Northwern Colorado, Eastern Idaho and Western Nebraska...

Today we are honored to host RCFC member and 14th president of Colorado State University, Dr. Anthony A. Frank, to deliver his annual “State of the University” address to Rotary and the community. Tony will be introduced by Kirvin Knox, and will be joined by a number of CSU officials...

Motivated by what she saw as an increasingly dangerous US-USSR relationship, a young woman organized a delegation of mainstream professional Americans to go to the USSR, as “citizen investigators”. This was six years before the fall of the Berlin Wall. This Wednesday, October 8, Programs Committee Co-Chair Will Reynolds will introduce Rotarian Sharon Tennison, to share her Russian experiences, then and since..

“On a hot July day in 1924, amateur archaeologists Claude C. Coffin, his son A. Lynn Coffin, and friend C.K. Collins were exploring a deep arroyo cut into the red and white cliffs on William Lindenmeier’s ranch”, according to the Fort Collins Museum & Discovery Science Center. Over the next year they discovered “34 strange, beautiful, leaf-shaped projectile points”. But it wasn’t until a 1934-40 Smithsonian investigation, that Lindenmeier changed forever our understanding of human history in the Western Hemisphere...

Costco’s $20.89 average wage vs. Walmart Stores’ $12.67 has been well publicized. But that cost differential has to be made up somewhere - how does Costco compete with the juggernaut Sam Walton built? Wednesday, September 3, retired HP executive and part-time CSU Adjunct Professor Stacy Plemmons will examine the different business models through the lens of a 2007 business book, Firms of Endearment...

This Wednesday, July 23, Rotarians are in for a dose of agricultural policy, economic observations and political wit, as Dr. Bob Lawrence introduces long-time friend and Kansas State professor of Agricultural Economics, Dr. Barry Flinchbaugh. Having met politician from Alf Landon to George W. Bush, Dr. Flinchbaugh will share numerous recollections of the famous, and the infamous. (For those born after 1930, Alf Landon was Governor of Kansas from 1933 to 1937, and best known for having been defeated in a landslide by Franklin D. Roosevelt in the 1936 presidential election.)...

The West African country of Liberia suffered civil war almost continuously from 1989 to 2003. Then, under the leadership of Leymah Gbowee, over 3000 Christian and Muslim women came together to help force a peace agreement and bring the country's first female president to power.

Wednesday July 9, CSU Grad and Rotary Peace Scholar, Luci Storelli-Castro will share her 4-month experience providing legal education in post-war Liberia and touch on the political history, the civil war, and some of the challenges facing a post-conflict Liberia. Luci will be introduced by her former Professor, our own Dr. Bob Lawrence...

Three Mile Island, Chernobyl, Fukushima Daiichi. Though Three Mile Island was significantly smaller, all three locations have become synonymous with nuclear events. Wednesday, June 18, Ralph Smith will introduce CSU Assistant Professor of Environmental and Radiological Health Sciences, Dr. Alex Brandt, to discuss the short and long-term radiological impacts observed and expected in the Fukushima area, and potential public health impacts in the United States. He will also touch on Chernobyl, and the effects of nuclear weapons testing in the western US...

Unfortunately, our closest furry companions, dogs and cats, suffer from many of the same cancers as humans. According to one study, 45% of the dogs that reached 10 years of age or older died of cancer, and Cancer research with dogs has helped design clinical trials for human cancer therapy. Wednesday, June 11, Dr. Ralph Smith will introduce Professor of Surgical Oncology and Associate Director of the Flint Animal Cancer Center at Colorado State University, Dr. Stephen Withrow, to update us on animal cancer research, and CSU’s role.

Enjoy the taste of home-grown tomatoes? How about getting most of your own produce from that vacant lot nearby? Or how about turning part of that huge lawn into an edible landscape? Today, May 21, RCFC members revisit their agrarian roots, when Dave Stewart introduces Matthew "Quint" Redmond to present an urban agriculture future he calls Agriburbia®. Agriburbia® expands on the life many of us remember when the family garden provided fresh vegetables right outside our door. But the concept goes further, re-integrating commercial food production directly into new and existing communities while incorporating alternative energy, natural storm water management, and pedestrians to create a sustainable future...

How many zeroes in a quadrillion? (Answer 15) Hopefully Rotarians will have some idea why that matters when University of Wyoming Vice President for Research and Economic Development, Dr. William A Gern gives us an update this Wednesday, April 23, on “Yellowstone”, the Wyoming supercomputer housed outside Cheyenne. Yellowstone can perform 1.6 quadrillion computer operations per second. Rotarian and Wyoming native Warren Wilson will introduce Dr. Gern...

How does a former Commissioner of Agriculture and College Dean wind up writing thrillers? We’ll find out Wednesday, April 16, when Kirvin Knox introduces his longtime friend, Dr. Steven Horn, who will talk about his books, what motivated him to write them and the stories behind the books...

We’ve heard of Bitcoin, but how does it work? Wednesday April 9, Rotarians will learn about this peer-to-peer payment system, when former Professor Bob Hoel introduces CSU Professor of Computer Information Systems, Stephen C. Hayne to part the clouds. Bitcoin is alternatively referred to as a virtual currency, electronic money, or a cryptocurrency because cryptography is used to control its creation and transfer...

Expected to be a rebuilding year, in 2013 the CSU Volleyball team was picked to finish 2nd in the conference. They forgot to read the expectations, winning 27 straight matches, finishing 28-2 for a .933 winning percentage - highest in program history. In addition, the team won their 5th consecutive Mountain West Championship, and made their 19th Straight trip to the NCAA Tournament...

So, a professor of Philosophy and Religious Studies walks into an Energy Institute. What happens next…? We’ll all find out March 26, when Ralph Smith introduces CSU’s Energy Institute Associate Director and research anthropologist Mac McGoldrick who will give us an update on the Institute and the new LEED Platinum Powerhouse...

It’s not your grandfather’s campus any more… According to the Coloradoan, “Colorado State University is amidst the greatest campus building boom in generations, with more than $800 million dollars’ worth of construction either complete, in progress or being planned.” Today Professor Bob Lawrence will introduce former student and CSU Vice President for University Operations, Amy Parsons, to give us an update...

Buy or receive a new digital weather station or clock radio recently, and not have to set the time? If so, we in the continental U.S. can thank Fort Collins-based WWVB, those blinking red light on the northeast horizon, for that atomically precise service. Today Dave Stewart will introduce Douglas Sutton, Engineering Tech for NIST (National Institute of Standards and Technology) Radio Stations WWV and WWVB, who will calibrate us all on this amazing but little known resource in our back yard...